Nes Wetland Projects

Wetland Identification and Mappingalong a section of the Menominee RiverMarinette County, Wisconsin & Menominee County, Michigan

NES identified wetland communities located along a 5-mile section of the Menominee River to assist with a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission re-licensing application. The project requirements included:

NES assists in siting telecommunication towers to avoid environmentally sensitive areas. NES also provides wetland determinations and delineations when necessary on telecommunication tower projects throughout the upper Midwest. Wetland delineation reports, including maps and USACE data sheets, are produced as a final product.

In December of 2005, NES submitted a Federal/State Application for Water Regulatory Permits and Approvals to impact 0.40 acres of wetland for the construction of multiple use condominiums and their associated parking lots and roadways. As part of the plan, a design was submitted for a 0.95-acre scrub-shrub/alder thicket wetland to be constructed as mitigation for the wetland impact. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) granted the permit in early 2007 and the mitigation area was constructed that spring.

Twelve shallow wells were installed to monitor groundwater level fluctuation and photo stations were staked out to track visual change over time.

To achieve the performance standards required by the permit, NES has undertaken an intense management regime within the mitigation area to control and remove invasive species and promote the growth of desirable species. Regular mowing, herbiciding and mechanical removal are conducted along with continued planting of shrubs and seeding of grasses and forbs to bolster the success of the mitigation area. Vegetation surveys, including 90 vegetation plots and a full shrub census, are conducted each growing season to monitor the growth and change within the plant communities present.

NES is required to submit annual monitoring reports for eight years after which the WDNR and USACE will determine if the wetland mitigation area successfully met each required performance standard.

NES assisted with the creation of a Wetland Mitigation Bank Prospectus. As part of this prospectus, NES assessed existing wetland resources and vegetation communities on-site. NES GPS’d potential wetland preservation, enhancement and creation areas along with invasive species locations which were used to create a wetland mitigation bank design and an estimate of the amount of credits that could potentially be available for sale.

NES continually conducts wetland delineations and determinations for towns, villages, cities and counties in Northeast Wisconsin. The delineations have been conducted for parks, industrial park development and in-fill, road construction and commercial development. NES has ongoing relationships with many local communities as their wetland service provider.

In addition, NES holds a master contract with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and regularly conducts delineations along state highways in northern Wisconsin.

NES has conducted hundreds of wetland delineations and determinations for private individuals and companies in Northeast Wisconsin. The delineations have been conducted for residential, commercial and industrial development. NES also helps clients navigate wetland permitting and conduct wetland-related planning. NES has ongoing relationships with many local businesses as their wetland service provider.